Magistri Petri Lombardi
Arch. Episc. Parisiensis

Master Peter Lombard
Archbishop of Paris

Sententiarum Quatuor Libri

The Four Books of Sentences

LIBER SECUNDUS SENTENTIARUM.

 

DE  RERUM  CREATIONE  ET  FORMATIONE  CORPORALIUM ET  SPIRITUALIUM
ET  ALIIS  PLURIBUS  EO  PERTINENTIBUS

THE SECOND BOOK OF THE SENTENCES

 

ON THE CREATION AND FORMATION OF THINGS CORPORAL AND SPIRITUAL AND MANY OTHERS PERTAINING TO THIS

DISTINCTIO XII.

DISTINCTION 12

Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae,
Ad Claras Aquas, 1885, Vol. 2, pag. 290-292.
Cum Notitiis Editorum Quaracchi

Latin text taken from Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae,
Ad Claras Aquas, 1885, Vol. 2, pp. 290-292.
Notes by the Quaracchi Editors.

Cap. I.

 

De distinctione operum sex dierum.

Chapter I.

On the distinction of the Six Days.

Haec de angelicae naturae conditione dicta sufficiant.  Nunc superest de aliarum quoque rerum creatione, ac praecipue de operum sex dierum distinctione nonnulla in medium proferre.  Cum Deus in sapientia sua angelicos condidit spiritus, alia etiam creavit, sicut ostendit supra memorata Scriptura Genesis, quae dicit, in principio Deum creasse caelum, id est Angelos, et terram, scilicet materiam quatuor elementorum1 adhuc confusam et informem, quae a Graecis dicta est chaos; et hoc fuit ante omnem diem.  Deinde elementa distinxit Deus et species proprias atque distinctas singulis rebus secundum genus suum dedit, quae non simul, ut quibusdam sanctorum Patrum placuit, sed per intervalla temporum ac sex volumina dierum, ut aliis visum est, formavit.

Let these (things), said of the foundation of the angelic nature, suffice.  Now it remains to proffer not a few (things) concerning the creation even of other things, and chiefly concerning the distinction of the works of the Six Days.  When God in His Wisdom founded the angelic spirits, He also created other (beings), just as the above mentioned [memorata] Scripture from Genesis shows, which says, that in the beginning God created Heaven, that is the Angels, and the Earth, namely the still confused and formless matter of the four elements,1 which (matter) has been called “the chaos” by the Greeks; and this was before every Day.  Then God distinguished the elements and gave to things each the species proper and distinct according to their genus, which (things) He did not form at once, as it pleased certain of the holy Fathers, but through the intervals of times and (through) the volumes of the Six Days, as it has seemed to others.

Cap. II.

 

Quod alii senserunt omnia simul facta in materia et forma, alii per intervalla temporum.

Chapter II.

That some thought that all (things were) made in matter and form, others (that this happened) through intervals of time.

Quidam namque sanctorum Patrum, qui verba Dei atque arcana excellenter scrutati sunt, super hoc quasi adversa scripsisse videntur.  Alii quidem tradiderunt, omnia simul in materia et forma fuisse creata; quod Augustinus2 sensisse videtur.  —  Alii vero hoc magis probaverunt atque asseruerunt, ut primum materia rudis atque informis, quatuor elementorum commixtionem atque confusionem tenens, creata sit; postmodum vero per intervalla sex dierum ex illa materia rerum corporalium genera sint formata secundum species proprias.  Quam sententiam Gregorius,3 Hieronymus, Beda aliique plures commendat ac praeferunt, quae etiam Scripturae Genesis, unde prima huius rei cognitio ad nos manavit, magis congruere videtur.

For indeed certain of the holy Fathers, who have scrutinized in an excellent manner the words and arcane (things) of God, seem to have written on this quasi contrary things [quasi adversa].  Indeed some have handed down, that all (things) had been created together in (their) matter and form; which (St.) Augustine2 seems to have thought.  —  On the other hand some proved and asserted this more, that first there was created the rude and formless matter, holding a co-mixture [commixionem] and confusion of the four elements; but afterwards through the intervals of the Six Days there was formed out of that matter the genera of corporal things according to their own species.  Which sentence (Sts.) Gregory (the Great),3 Jerome, Bede (the Venerable) and several others commend and prefer, which even seems to be more congruent with the Scripture from Genesis, whence the first cognition of this affair [huius rei] has come [manavit] to us.

1  Cod. Erf. hic annotat:  Hic incipit Hugo (I. de Sacram. p. I. c. 2, deinde c. 4.), et est expositio Augustini.

2  Libr. I. de Gen. ad lit. c. 15. n. 29.  Cod. Erf. addit:  et libr. IV. c. 7. n. 14, et VII. c. ult. n. 41. planius; nunquam tamen asserit.  Unde ibid. n. 42. dicit sic:  Si possunt haec melius intelligi, non solum non resisto, verum et faveo [in istis huius codicis citationibus, sicut alibi, correximus et supplevimus numeros].  —  Paulo post, faventibus edd. 1, 5, 8, primum substituimus pro prima, quod Vat. cum codd. et aliis edd. exhibet.

3  Libr. XXXII. Moral. c. 12. n. 16;  Hieron., Comment. in Epist. ad Tit. cap. 1, secundum sensum; Beda, I. Hexaëm. in princip.  Inter plures est etiam Hugo, qui Sum. Sent. tr. 3. c. 1. dicit, quod haec sententia est multo probabilior (ita cod. Erf.).

1  The Erfurt Codex notes here:  Here begins Hugo (On the Sacraments, Bk. I, p. I, ch. 2, and then ch. 4), and it is the exposition of (St.) Augustine.

2  On a Literal Exposition of Genesis, Bk. I, ch. 15, n. 29.  The Erfurt Codex adds:  “and Book Iv, ch. 7, n. 14, and Bk. VII, last chapter, n. 41 more plainly; yet he never asserts (this).  Wherefore ibid., n. 42 he speaks thus:  If these can be better understood, not only do I not resist (it), but I favor (it)”:  in the citations of this codex, just as elsewhere, we have corrected and supplied the numbers.  —  A little after this, with editions 1, 5 and 8 favoring (this), we have substituted that first there was created the rude and formless matter [primum] for that there was created the rude and formless prime matter [prima], which the Vatican edition, together with the codices and other editions, exhibits.

3  Morals on the Book of Job, Bk. XXXII,ch. 12, n. 16; (St.) Jerome, Commentary on the Epistle to Titus, ch. 1, according to the sense; (St.) Bede, Hexaëmeron., Bk. I, at the beginning.  Among several (others) is Hugo (of St. Victor), who in (his) Summa Sententiarum, tr. 3, ch. 1, says, that this sentence is much more probable (thus the Erfurt Codex).

p. 291

Cap. III.

 

Quomodo per intervalla temporum res corporales conditae sunt.

Chapter III.

In what manner corporal things were founded through intervals of time.

Secundum hanc itaque traditionem, ordinem atque modum creationis formationisque rerum inspiciamus, sicut supra memoratum est.1  In principio creavit Deus caelum, id est angelicam naturam, sed adhuc informem, ut quibusdam placet, et terram, id est illam confusam materiam quatuor elementorum, quam nomine terrae, ut ait Augustinus2 contra Manichaeos, ideo appellavit Moyses, « quia terra inter omnia elementa minus est speciosa; et illa inanis erat et incomposita3 propter omnium elementorum commixtionem.  Eandem etiam vocat abyssum, dicens:  Et tenebrae erant super faciem abyssi etc., quia confusa erat et commixta, specie distincta carens.  Eadem etiam materia informis dicta est aqua, super quam ferebatur spiritus Domini, sicut superfertur fabricandis rebus voluntas artificis; quia subiacebat bonae voluntati Creatoris quod formandum perficiendumque inchoaverat, qui sicut Dominus et Conditor praeerat fluitanti et confusae materiae, ut distingueret per species varias, quando vellet et sicut vellet.  Haec ideo dicta est aqua, quia omnia, quae in terra nascuntur, sive animalia sive arbores vel herbae et similia, ab humore incipiunt formari atque nutriri.4  His omnibus vocabulis vocata est illa informis materia, ut res ignota nobis vocabulis insinuaretur imperitioribus, et non uno tantum; nam si uno tantum significaretur vocabulo, hoc esse putaretur, quod consueverant homines in illo vocabulo intelligere ».  Sub his ergo nominibus significata est materia illa confusa et informis, quae nulla specie cerni ac tractari poterat, id est nominibus visibilium rerum, quae inde futurae erant, propter infirmitatem parvulorum, qui minus idonei sunt invisibilia comprehendere.  —  Et tunc erant tenebrae, id est lucis absentia.  « Non enim tenebrae aliquid sunt, sed ipsa lucis absentia; sicut silentium non aliqua res est, sed ubi sonus non est, silentium dicitur; et nuditas non aliqua res est, sed in corpore, ubi tegumentum non est nuditas dicitur; et sicut et inanitas non est aliquid, sed inanis dicitur locus esse, ubi non est corpus, et inanitas est absentia corporis ».5

And so according to this tradition, let us inspect the order and manner of the creation and formation of things, just as has been mentioned above.1  In the beginning God created Heaven, that is the angelic nature, but still formless, as it pleases certain (authors to say), and Earth, that is that confused matter of the four elements, which Moses named with the name of “Earth”, as (St.) Augustine2 says (On Genesis) against the Manichees, for this reason, « because earth among all the elements is less sightly, and it was empty [inanis] and uncomposed [incomposita]3 on account of the co-mixture of the four elements.  He also calls the same “the abyss”, saying:  And there was darkness over the facie of the abyss etc., because it was confused and co-mixed, lacking a distinct appearance [specie].  The same formless matter is also said (to be) “water”, over which the spirit of the Lord was born, just as the will of a craftsman is born upon the things to be fabricated; because what had begun to be formed and perfected was subject to the good will of the Creator, who as Lord and Founder had stood before [praeerat] the floating and confused matter, to distinguish (it) through various species, when He willed and as He willed.  for this reason it has been called “water”, because all (the things), which are born on the Earth, whether animals or trees and/or green plants [herbae] and the like, began to be formed and nurtured from moisture [humore].4  That formless matter has been called by all these terms [vocabulis], so that a matter [res] unknown to us might be insinuated by  less technical terms [vocabulis imperitioribus], and not by one only; for if it were signified by one term only, it would have been thought to be what men had been accustomed to understand in that term ».  Therefore under these names there has been signified that confused and formless matter, which could be distinguished mentally [cerni] and treated according to no species, that is by the names of the visible things, which were going to be from it, for the sake of the infirmity of the little ones, who are less fit [idonei] to comprehend invisible (things).  —  And then there was the darkness [tenebrae], that is the absence of light.  « For the darkness is not something, but the very absence of light; just as silence is not some thing, but where there is no sound, there is said (to be) silence; and just as nudity is not some thing, but nudity is said (to be) in the body, where there is no covering; and just as emptiness [inanitas] is also not something, but the place, where there is no body, is said to be “empty”, and emptiness is the absence of a body ».5

Cap. IV.

 

Quo sensu tenebrae dicantur esse aliquid, et quo dicantur non esse aliquid.

Chapter IV.

In what sense are the tenebrae said to be something, and in what (sense) they are said not to be something?

Attende, quia hic Augustinus tenebras dicit non esse aliquid, cum alibi tenebrae inter creaturas ponantur, quae benedicunt Dominum; unde dicitur:6  Benedicite lux et tenebrae Domino. Ideoque sciendum est, tenebras diversis modis accipi, scilicet vel pro lucis absentia, qualiter supra accepit Augustinus, iuxta quam acceptionem non sunt aliquid; vel pro aëre obscurato sive aëris obscura qualitate; et secundum hoc aliquae res creatae sunt.  Ideo ergo dicit, tenebras tunc fuisse super faciem abyssi, quia nondum erat lux, quae si esset, et superesset et superfunderetur; sed nondum lucis gratia opus suum Deum venustaverat, quae postea in primo die formata est.

Note [Attende], that here (St.) Augustine says that the “darkness” [tenebrae] is not “something” [aliquid], since elsewhere “shadows” [tenebrae] are posited among the creatures, which bless the Lord; wherefore there is said:6  Light and shadows bless the Lord.  And for that reason it must be known, that tenebrae is accepted in diverse manners, that is either for an absence of light, in which manner (St.) Augustine accepted (it) above, according to which acceptation it is not something; and/or for the obscured air or obscure quality of the air; and according to this (sense) they are some created things.  Therefore he says, that the darkness was over the face of the abyss, for this reason, because there was not yet light, which if there were, it would both over come (the darkness) and be infused over (it); but God had not yet made His work lovely [venustaverat] with the grace of light, which was formed afterwards on the First Day.

Cap. V.

 

Quare illa materia confusa sit dicta informis, et ubi ad esse prodiit, et quantumcumque in altum ascenderit.

Chapter V.

For what reason is that confused matter said (to be) “formless”? and where it came to be, and how everso much did it ascend on high?

De qua re priusquam tractemus, duo nobis discutienda occurrunt:  primum, quare illa materia confusa informis dicatur, an quia omni forma caruerit, an propter aliud; secundo, ubi ad esse prodierit et quantum in altum ascenderit.  —  Ad illud ergo quod primo positum est, breviter respondentes dicimus, illam primam materiam non ideo dictam fore informem, quod nullam omnino formam habuerit, quia non aliquid corporeum tale existere potest, quod nullam habeat formam; sed ideo non absurde informem appellari posse dicimus, quia in confusione et permixtione quadam subsistens, nondum pulcram apertamque et distinctam receperat formam, qualem modo cernimus.  Facta est ergo illa materia in forma confusionis ante formam dispositionis.7  In forma confusionis prius omnia corporalia materialiter simul et semel sunt creata, postmodum in forma dispositionis sex diebus sunt ordinata.  —  Ecce absolutum est quod primo in discussione propositum fuit, scilicet quare illa materia dicatur informis.

Before we treat of which matter, two (things) occur to us to be discussed, “For what reason is that confused matter said (to be) “formless”, whether because it lacked all form, or whether on account of (something) else?”; second, “”Where did it come to be [ad esse prodierit]?” and “How much did it ascend on high [in altum]?”.  —  To that, therefore, which has been posited first, we say, responding briefly, that that prime matter was not said [dictam fore] (to be) “formless”, because it has entirely no form, because nothing corporal, as such, can exist, which has no form; but we say that it can be named “formless” not absurdly for this reason, because as one subsisting in a certain confusion and thorough mixture [permixtione], it had not yet received a beautiful and open and distinct form, which kind (of form) we now distinguish [cernimus].  Therefore that matter was made in the form of confusion before (it received its) form of disposition.7  All corporals were created together and once [simul et semel] in the form of confusion, (and) after a while were ordered in a form of disposition in Six Days.  —  Behold, what had been proposed first in the discussion, has been solved, namely, why matter is said (to be) “formless”.

« Nunc superest quod secundo proponebatur explicare, ubi scilicet illa materia substiterit et quantum in altitudine porrigebatur.  Ad quod nihil temere asserentes dicimus, quod illa prima rerum omnium moles, quando creata est, ibidem ad esse videtur prodisse, ubi nunc formata subsistit; eratque terreum hoc elementum in uno loco eodemque medio subsistens, ceteris tribus in una confusione permixtis, eisdemque circumquaeque in modum cuiusdam nebulae oppansis,8 ita obvolutum erat, ut apparere non posset quod fuit.  Illa vero tria, in una permixtione confusa circumquaque suspensa, eousque in altum porrigebantur, quousque nunc summitas corporeae naturae pertingit ».  Et sicut quibusdam videtur, ultra locum firmamenti extendebatur illa moles, quae in inferiori parte spissior atque grossior erat, in superiori vero rarior et levior atque subtilior existebat; de qua rariori substantia putant quidem fuisse aquas, quae super firmamentum esse di- / -cuntur. . . .

« Now there remains what was proposed (for us) to explain second, where, namely, that matter subsisted and how much it was stretched out [porrigebatur] in altitude.  To which, asserting that (we) fear nothing, we say, that that first mass of all things, when it was created, seems to have come to be, where it now subsists formed; and this element of earth was (the element) subsisting in one and the same intermediary place, with all the other three thoroughly mixed in one confusion, and it had been so enveloped [obvolutum erat] by the same (three) stretched over [oppansis]8 around each [circumquaeque] in the manner of a certain nebula, that what it was could not appear.  But those three, suspended in one confused, thorough mixture round about [circumquaque], were stretched out as far into the height [in altum], as the summit of corporeal nature now extends ».  And just as it seems to certain (authors), that mass used to extend beyond the place of the firmament, which in (its) inferior part was thicker and heavier, but in (its) superior (part) existed more scattered [rarior] and lighter and even subtler; concerning which rarer substance certain (authors) thought the waters were, which are said to be “above the firmament”. . . .

1  Dist. I. et II. c. 3.

2  Libro I. de Gen. contra Manich. c. 7. n. 12, nonnulis mutatis.

3  Est littera secundum Septuaginta, iuxta annotationem cod. Erf.

4  Cod. Erf. hic annotat:  Illud similiter est Augustini super Gen. [scil. contra Manichaeos loc. cit.]; ac deinde ad verba cerni ac tractari poterat annotat: Sententia est Augustini, sed verba Gandolphi.

5  August., ibid. c. 4. n. 7, et XII. Confess. c. 3. n. 3.

6  Dan. 3, 72.

7  Cfr. August., I. de Gen. contra Manichaeos c. 7. n. 11. et I. de Gen. ad lit. c. 15. n. 29, et Hugo, I. de Sacram. p. I. c. 4, et quoad subsequentia ibid. c. 6.

8  Sic codd. A B E cum edd. 1, 5 pro oppressis, quod in Vat. et ceteris edd. nec non in codd. C D habetur.  —  Paulo inferius ad verba Et sicut quibusdam cod. Erf. annotat:  Magister secundum sententiam Bedae super Gen. [Quaest. super Gen. disput. 2.]

1  Distinction I and II, ch. 3.

2  On Genesis against the Manichees, Bk. I, ch. 7, n. 12, with not a few (things) changed.

3  According to the annotation of the Erfurt Codex, this is the reading according to the Septuagint.

4  The Erfurt codex notes here:  That similarly is (St.) Augustine’s On Genesis (against the Manichees); and then at the words which could be distinguished mentally and treated [cerni ac tractari poterat] it notes:  The sentence is (St.) Augustine’s, but the words Gandolph’s.

5  (St.) Augustine, ibid., ch. 4, n. 7, and Confessions, Bk. XII, ch. 3, n. 3.

6  Dan. 3:72.

7  Cf. (St.) Augustine, On Genesis against the Manichees, Bk. I, ch. 7, n. 11, and On a Literal Exposition of Genesis, Bk. I, ch. 15, n. 29, and Hugo (of St. Victor), On the Sacraments, Bk. I, p. I, ch. 4, and in regard to the following, ibid., ch. 6.

8  Thus codices A B and E, together with editions 1 and 5, instead of pressed down [oppressis], which is had in the Vatican edition and all the other editions, and even in codices C and D.  —  A little below this at the words And just as it seems to certain (authors) [Et sicut quibusdam], the Erfurt codex notes:  Master (Peter) following the sentence of (St.) Bede, (Questions) on Genesis, (disputation 2).

p. 292

di- / -cuntur.  « Talis fuit mundi facies in principio, priusquam reciperet formam vel dispositionem ».

« Such was the face of the world in the beginning, before it received (its) form and/or disposition ».

Nunc superest, ut dispositionem illam, qualiter perfecta sit, ordine prosequamur.  Sex diebus, sicut docet Scriptura Genesis, distinxit Deus et in formas redegit proprias cuncta, quae simul materialiter fecerat; perfecitque opus suum in die sexto, et sic deinde die septimo requievit ab omni opere, id est, cessavit novam creaturam facere.  Sex enim diebus sex rerum genera distinxit nihilque postea fecit, quod in aliquo illorum non contineatur; operatus est tamen postea, sicut Veritas in Evangelio1 ait:  Pater meus operatur usque nunc, et ego operor illud.

Now it remains (for us), to pursue that disposition in the order, as [qualiter] it was perfected.  In Six Days, just as the Scripture of Genesis teaches, God distinguished and reduced all other (things), which He had made together materially, unto their proper forms; and He perfected His work on the Sixth Day, and thus He then rested on the Seventh Day from all (His) work, that is, He ceased from making a new creature.  For in the Six Days He distinguished the six genera of things and afterwards He made nothing, which is not contained in any of these; yet He did work afterwards, just as the Truth says in the Gospel:1  My Father works until now, and I work the same.

Cap. VI.

 

De quatuor modis divinae operationis.

Chapter VI.

On the four manners of Divine Operation.

Quatuor enim modis, ut ait Alcuinus2 super Genesim, operatur Deus:  « Primo, in Verbo omnia disponendo; secundo, in materia informi quattuor elementorum, de nihilo eam creando, unde:  Qui vivit in aeternum creavit omnia simul, omnia scilicet elementa, vel omnia corpora materialiter simul creavit.  Tertio, per opera sex dierum varias distinxit creaturas.  Quarto, ex primordialibus seminibus non incognitae oriuntur naturae, sed notae saepius reformantur, ne pereant ».

For, as (Bl.) Alcuin (of York) says on Genesis, God worked in four manners:  « First, by arranging [disponendo] all (things) in the Word; second, in the formless matter of the four elements, by creating it from nothing, wherefore (there is said):  He who lives unto eternity created all together, that is He created materially all the elements, and/or all bodies.  Third, through the works of the Six Days He distinguished the various creatures.  Fourth, out of the primordial seeds there arise the not unknown natures [non incognitae naturae], but (those) known [notae] are reformed more often, lest they perish ».

1  Ioan 5, 17. De cessatione ab opere cfr. infra d. XV. c. 7.

2  Interrogat. et resp. in Gen., interrogat. 19, fere ad verbum.  —  Locus s. Scripturae est Eccli. 18, 1.

1  Jn. 5:17.  On (God’s) cessation from work, cf. below d. XV, ch. 7.

2  Interrogations and Responses on Genesis, interrogation 19, nearly verbatim.  —  The passage of Scripture is Ecclesiasticus 18:1.

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